LAST week I testified before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Pakistan-US relations. I advocated for a long-term relationship with Pakistan, going much beyond the ‘end-game’ in Afghanistan.

Given that the Senate hearing was taking place less than a week after Osama bin Laden was found in Abbottabad, this was never going to be an easy sell — especially so, since the only reason why a long-term engagement with Pakistan is a necessity (as I see it) for America is a negative one: Pakistan’s failure risks causing a systemic meltdown of the region, and perhaps much beyond. There is nothing much to gain directly by propping up Pakistan, at least, not till Pakistan is able to coursecorrect drastically. But there is a lot to lose if things go wrong.